Ten online best practices

Font choices should make content easy to read. Use font properties like color, size and style as variables to work with. (e.g. If your target market(s) include older generations, increase the font size.)

When using background images or shading, use the best combination of font type and color so that the text is readable.

Avoid using reversed type (a dark background with light text) for body content, as it is harder to read.

Keep the backgrounds behind text solid and plain, to keep the words legible.

Fonts on all pages should be consistent with the overall theme (including color and style.) More than 2 or 3 fonts can overwhelm the reader.

Underlining should only be used if there is a hyperlink.

Sans serif fonts (e.g. Arial) are easier to read online compared to serif fonts (e.g. Time New Roman). Note: the opposite is true for printed material.

As it takes 50% longer to read online text, a general rule is to cut half of the content.

Use common fonts, eliminating the chance that visitors do not have an obscure font on their computers.

Don’t be afraid of white space. It helps prevent the reader from becoming overwhelmed.
Bonus. Increase scanability. Use bolded subheads. Break blocks of text up by using bullets.